


Much Mistletoeing

by Sachiela



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Christmas meet cute, Lance trying to bring a little joy to the holidays, M/M, Office setting au, broganes, workaholic keith
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:15:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28488924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sachiela/pseuds/Sachiela
Summary: Keith promises his brother that he'll go home as soon as he's finished up the last of his current project, even though they both know he's in no rush to get home to an empty apartment. Some time later, a noise makes him look up and he finds his newest coworker hanging a wreath on his office door.
Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 85





	Much Mistletoeing

**Author's Note:**

> Title from “It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year” by Andy Williams.
> 
> Fic inspired by the prompt - <https://meetcuteprompts.tumblr.com/post/104647219868/86-the-holiday-meet-cute> \- though I changed it up a little to better suit the characters.

Shiro locks the door to his office and sighs when he catches Keith still working next door. “Hey, when are you gonna shut down and go home? There can’t be anything you’re working on that can’t wait until after the holidays.”

“I just want to get this done before I sign off,” Keith says with a shake of his head. He’d been hoping that Shiro wouldn’t notice he’s still here; so much for a Christmas miracle. “I’ll be like an hour, tops.”

His brother doesn’t look like he believes him, but that’s okay. He doesn’t believe himself either. And while he enjoys spending time with his brother and his brother’s fiance, he feels too much like a third wheel to spend all of Christmas with them. Yet his own place always feels too lonely, especially over the holidays.

“I’m going to call you in two hours and if you’re still here, I’m coming back to drag you out myself,” Shiro warns, sighing again when Keith just waves him off. 

He loses track of time after that and finds that it’s dark when he next looks up from his computer screen (not that that helps him figure out the time, with how early the sun sets in winter). He’s not even sure what made him look up until he hears a sound. He peeks around his monitors and is surprised to see the newest employee in their department putting... _something_ on his door.

“What are you doing?” 

The man startles and almost drops what he’s holding and finally Keith can tell it’s a wreath. “Oh, um, sorry if I’m bothering you or anything, but I saw you were working still, too, and wanted to try to make it a little more festive for you.”

Keith frowns. “But...why?”

“I figure everyone could use a little festive cheer around the holidays, yeah? It’s already so cold and dark all the time, why not make it pretty?”

Okay, the guy has a point (and Keith is trying really hard to remember his name--he met him as part of the guy’s orientation, remembers thinking he’s cute, and none of their projects have overlapped since), but… “But, I mean, why me? And why are you still here anyway?” Did Shiro somehow miss him on his way out?

Lance--Keith finally remembers--gives a slight smile. “Well, new guy, you know? I don’t want to be seen as slacking off or a flake by ducking out early when others are still working.” He gives Keith a pointed look.

“Didn’t Shiro tell you that you’re free to go until after Christmas, though?”

“Well, yeah, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have stuff to finish. I’m just taking a quick break from my screen and stretching my legs a little.”

“And decorating.”

Lance’s smile gets wider. “And decorating.”

Keith gives a quick glance to his computer clock and realizes if Shiro follows through with his threat, he’ll be calling soon. “You should go home.” 

He hopes that doesn’t sound as harsh as it does to his own ears, but there’s no way someone as attractive as Lance doesn’t have someone to spend the holidays with. He apparently still needs to work on his tone as he watches Lance’s smile droop a little as he finishes placing the wreath on the hook he’d attached to Keith’s door.

“Well, what about you?” Lance asks, not looking over at him.

“What about me?”

“Didn’t Shiro tell you to head out, too? There’s no way he’d tell anyone to keep working late when he’s already gone home. He’s way too nice for that.”

Keith shrugs, sitting back in his chair. His part of the project is pretty much done anyway, he’s just being nitpicky about formatting and everything. Though, he’s mildly impressed that Lance had already picked up on Shiro. “There’s not really much of a point.” 

Lance’s gaze turns almost wistful as he lounges against the doorframe. “I feel that. This is the first holiday I’ve spent away from my family. They’re all back in Florida, but it just...wasn’t in the budget to see them so soon after moving out here.”

Biting his lip, Keith isn’t sure what to say to that. He understands it, from an outside perspective. He knows that it’s hard for Adam sometimes when he can’t see his family, but for himself and Shiro...it’s just been the two of them for years, before Adam joined the picture. He doesn’t know what to say to try to lift Lance’s mood, either. He’s never been good at this sort of thing.

Admittedly, it’s the first time in ages he’s even _wanted_ to try to make someone feel better that wasn’t his brother or Adam. He sucks in a breath and murmurs a quiet, “I’m sorry,” and hopes it comes across okay. 

“It is what it is, no worries, man,” Lance replies with a shrug. His smile is back, though it doesn’t quite reach his eyes and Keith wonders how he’s even noticing something like this about another person so fast. “It’s part of why I like putting up decorations, gives a little bit of that connection. But, anyway, I should get out of your hair and let you finish up, yeah? Even if you don’t have something back home, that’s no reason to work so late on Christmas, yeah?”

Lance checks the hang of the wreath one last time and then gives Keith a little wave as he leaves. Keith stares at the wreath, trying to parse through the conversation and his unusual thoughts until his computer screens go dark. He moves his mouse to wake them back up and quickly saves his work again, but he can’t bring himself to do anything more. And he can’t stop thinking about Lance and how they’re basically in the same boat and...maybe…

Pressing save one last time, he shuts down his computer and packs everything up, grabbing his coat before heading over to Lance’s office. He can feel his face flushing as he knocks on the door, somewhat pleased he’d managed to surprise the other.“Would you...would you like to grab a coffee or something to eat?” He asks, barely able to keep his voice even.

Lance blinks at him and then smiles, brighter than anything Keith has seen from him yet. “Yeah, that sounds great.” He closes up everything and slips his laptop into his bag, pulling on his own coat. “Any place you have in mind?”

Glancing down, Keith bites his lip. Where to… “There’s this really good Chinese place a few blocks over, if that works?”

“Yeah—oh.” 

Lance’s gaze is locked on something above Keith’s head and Keith looks up with mild dread, having a feeling he knows _exactly_ what’s up there. Before he has a chance to say anything, though, Lance steps closer and leans down to kiss his cheek. 

“You better take that down before someone reports it to HR,” Keith says, even though he’s sure his face is red enough to put the holly decor on the walls to shame. 

Laughing, Lance reaches up and easily plucks the mistletoe from the ceiling just inside his door frame and places it in his pocket. “No worries. It’s done its work for the year.”

**Author's Note:**

> Funny thing is, I wrote this initially for an exchange piece until I realized I'd misread my giftee's request entirely. So...here's a bonus holiday fic, I suppose? I hope people enjoy.


End file.
